New Zealand whale stranding: Authorities begin clean-up of carcasses

In total, an estimated 666 whales had been stranded at Farewell Spit, on the northern tip of the South Island, in one of the largest mass beachings recorded in New Zealand.

Image credit: Reuters

New Delhi: New Zealand officials on Monday said that rescuers spotted no newly stranded whales on the South Island beach where hundreds of marine mammals died after beaching themselves last week.

In good news for volunteers who worked to save nearly 700 pilot whales that swam ashore, the Department of Conservation said a pod of about 240 were seen heading out to open sea late Sunday.

"Rangers this morning searched coastline on the western side of Golden Bay to as far along the inner side of Farewell Spit as it was possible to go and no stranded live whales were seen," the department said in a statement.

In total, an estimated 666 whales had been stranded at Farewell Spit, on the northern tip of the South Island.

The crisis began Friday when a pod of 416 whales beached themselves on the spit.

About 300 died and volunteers re-floated the survivors, only to see a separate pod become stranded nearby on Saturday afternoon.

They were also re-floated and were seen swimming offshore on Sunday.

Authorities have begun cutting holes in 300 whale carcasses, popping the dead animals "like balloons" to avoid them exploding as they decompose on Golden Bay.

The department's regional conservation manager Andrew Lamason said the immediate risk was that the rotting bodies would blow up as they filled with gas.

Lamason said the bodies might be left to decompose on the remote beach after being ring-fenced to prevent them floating away.

Farewell Spit is a 26-kilometre hook of sand that protrudes out into the sea and has been described as a perfect whale trap.

The shallow seabed surrounding the spit is believed to interfere with the whales' sonar navigation systems and regularly sees mass strandings.

Following one of New Zealand's largest whale strandings, rescuers managed to save around 400 pilot whales on the South Island beach on the weekend.

(With AFP inputs)